J. T. Drye

KANNAPOLIS - Rev. J. T. Drye, of 5130 Trinity Church Rd., Kannapolis, died Wednesday Nov. 18, 2009, at the age of 91. Services for Rev. Drye will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Chapel of Whitley's Funeral Home in Kannapolis with Rev. Charles Savage officiating. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, at Whitley's Funeral Home. At other times the family will be at the residence. Born Dec. 9, 1917, in Cabarrus Co., Rev. Drye was a son of the late Jonah T. Drye, Sr. and the late Pattie Melton Drye. He was a WWII veteran of the US Army. He fought through the European Theatre of operation as a Machine Gunner. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and six other medals. While in Germany he was honored as Soldier Of The Week. He was saved from a life of sin to a life of Christian usefulness in 1939. Nine months later he was sanctified Holy and filled with the Holy Spirit. To know him was to love him and to be associated with him was to believe in him. He was a Christian gentleman. J. T. attended college in Cincinnati, Ohio and Sanford College in Fla. He also attended Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla. for three years. Rev. Drye evangelized extensively throughout the nation including five different countries. He also pastored in the states of Oklahoma, Arizona, Mississippi and North Carolina. His ministry was over a period of 62 years. At the time of his death, he was a member of Westside Church of the Nazarene in Kannapolis. In addition to his parents, Rev. Drye was preceded in death by five sisters and four brothers. He was married in 1947 to Vesta Rushing, who died in 1976. He married Marie Hamm in 1977. He is survived by his wife, Marie, of the home, his son, Phillip, of Concord and a sister, Ruth Billings, of Kannapolis. Also surviving are three step-daughters, Linda Lowery and Patty Hardeman of Kannapolis and Terry Coleman of Statesville and many friends. Online condolences may be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com and should friends desire Memorial Contributions may be made to Westside Church of the Nazarene at 4700 Isenhour Rd. Kannapolis, NC 28081. Whitley's Funeral Home is serving the Drye family.